Systems for making illuminated designs are known to the prior art. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No.2,154,088 of Raymond Guba discloses a sign comprised of a support made of wire fabric, the outer faces of which are substantially spaced from each other and are provided with openings arranged in rows.
One of the objects of the Guba patent is to provide a structure in which the illuminating elements are rigidly supported so that their axis will remain parallel to each other. In order to accomplish this, Guba provides ". . . a wire fabric the structure of which involves a substantial spacing between its opposite faces . . . (see column 1). Although Guba does not define the term ". . . substantial spacing . . . ," he indicates (at column 2 of the patent) that "The electric lamps may be any standard type of bulb 26 provided with a threaded base by means of which it is removably inserted into a lamp socket 27." It is clear from this teaching that, because the electric lamp sockets must fit within the openings in the wire mesh, the ". . . substantial spacing . . ." required in the Guba system must be as least as great as the diameter of the conventional lamp sockets which were available in 1937.
Because of this ". . . substantial spacing . . ." requirement, a problem is presented with the rigidity of the wire mesh structure. Guba describes his structure as being a "fabric." However, somewhat inconsistently, he also states that his "fabric" is ". . . sufficiently rigid to be self-sustaining" (see column 1). In order to obtain such rigidity, Guba appears to use a rather heavy wire to fabricate the wire fabric. Furthermore, the wire in Guba's system must be configured in a certain, rather complicated manner. In the first place, in Guba's fabric support, the openings must be formed by ". . . spiral strands extending in one direction and interengaging with each other, and by other spiral strands extending substantially at right angles thereto and interengaging with each other and the with the first ones . . ."(see column 1). In the second place, the spiral turns of wire must extend ". . . in the same direction . . . so that the loops of each strand interengage with the loops of both adjacent strands . . . (see column 1)" In the third place, ". . . each side of the openings through the fabric is formed by two arc-shaped sections of wire . . . one of which is a partial turn of a strand extending in one direction, and the other of which is a partial turn of a strand extending at right angles thereto" (see column 2). It should be noted, however, that nowhere in the Guba patent is there a disclosure of the particular metal wire which may be used to make Guba's wire fabric, or how one could weave such wire to obtain the desired structure.
Guba also does not specify the dimensions of his wire fabric. However, he does disclose that it is ". . . a structure of substantial thickness . . . (see column 1)" It is apparent that, because of such ". . . substantial thickness . . . ," such ". . . substantial spacing . . . ," and the use of a metal wire sufficiently thick to provide a ". . . self-sustaining . . ." structure, the Guba structure is also "substantially heavy."
It is an object of this invention to provide a light-weight grid structure which may be used to make decorative arrays with string lights.
It is another object of this invention to provide a grid structure which has sufficient rigidity so that it is self-sustaining.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a grid structure comprised of a multiplicity of openings into which lights may be readily inserted and/or removed.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a grid structure whose dimensions are not easily altered when such structure is in use.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a grid structure which may readily be joined to other, similar grid structures to form a larger device.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a grid structure which is comprised of means for mounting said structure to a surface.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a grid structure which consists essentially of material which will not substantially degrade when exposed to ambient conditions.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a grid structure which, when used in conjunction with string lights to produce an illuminated design, will produce a design which can readily be discerned at a wide range of distances.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a grid structure which is relatively inexpensive to produce.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a grid structure which is adapted to be used with a variety of differently sized string lamps.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a grid structure which comprises a self-supporting frame structure.
It is another object of this invention to provide a system for making large, illuminated decorative arrays which is comprised of a multiplicity of modular, connectable grid units, each of which can be readily handled.